March 2015

National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month! A month dedicated to sharing nutrition education and information; a campaign sponsored annually by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign is designed to focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.

Stone Ground

The wheat plant has been revered for thousands of years, having been cultivated before the recorded history of humans. There are several varieties of wheat, including: red hard winter wheat, red soft winter wheat, hard red spring wheat, durum wheat and club wheat. The life cycle of wheat varies with the change of weather, temperature and daylight hours. Wheat is attractive and easy to grow in a small garden or planter.

Vermicomposting: Worms at Work

Vermicomposting--the practice of using worms to transform food waste into a nutrient-rich finished product called vermicompost. In a school setting, this type of composting can set the stage for a variety of fun, interdisciplinary activities. Utilize school cafeteria waste for the worm bin, provide a variety of interesting experiments while maintaining the bin in the classroom, ultimately culminating in a school or classroom garden using the finished product.

Role of Urban Parks

Researchers believe our health and well-being are dependent on a regular dose of nature. Studies are showing that access to green spaces and natural landscapes positively affect our moods, enable us to learn and retain knowledge better, and even are responsible for imprinting children with immunological defenses that make them more resistant to diseases and allergies.

U.S. Waste Challenge

The USDA presents a webinar on March 19th at 2PM EST to learn how to maximize school food resources through proven best practices in procurement, menu planning, marketing, and food safety as well as utilization of any excess food items through donation and/or recycling.

Every Kid in a Park

The National Park Foundation recently announced the Every Kid in a Park initiative, geared toward introducing America’s youth and their families to public lands and waters. This new national program seeks to connect four million fourth graders with these treasured places in the 2015-16 academic year, coinciding with the National Park Service Centennial celebration.

Discover NCI Texas

The camp-like atmosphere accommodates housing for up to 350 students, comfortable sleeping quarters, ample bathroom facilities, and a modern retreat center. The Wimberley site is surrounded by 240 acres of rolling terrain, a 5 acre lake, a wealth of oak trees, and dawn-grazing deer.